When Robots Become Relational

Introducing the Personified Affective Transference Model (PATM)

Human–robot relationships become meaningful through repeated interaction, not because robots are human-like, but because predictable engagement stabilizes emotional experience over time.

Overview

This presentation articulated the Personified Affective Transference Model (PATM), a theoretical framework for understanding how humans come to experience social robots as relational partners. The talk argued that personification is not confusion but a patterned response emerging from interaction, feedback, and reinforcement. By mapping affective transference across repeated exchanges, the model explains how emotional bonds can form even when users fully understand the machine’s artificial nature. The framework offers a cultural lens for interpreting intimacy, attachment, and companionship in technologically mediated contexts.

Key Insight

Personification is not a misunderstanding of technology. It is a relational process that emerges through repeated interaction, feedback, and affective reinforcement.

Presented At

Charles E. Shanklin Colloquium
March 31, 2025
Bowling Green, Ohio

Tags

PATM, Human-Robot Interaction, Social Robotics, Affective Technology, Presentation